Messenger
by MidKnight2501
Summary: Zechs and Noin hit it off.
1. Messenger

Messenger  
  
"Lucrezia!" One of the commanders yelled over the din in the large room. She instantly spun away from her screen and paused only to make sure her replacement had sat down there before running to the commander.  
"Yes, sir!" she yelled back walking over to him.   
He was one of the new ones here, who thought they had to yell everything to get it done, instead of asking her over the intercom. And besides being new he was younger, an anoying combination; which, in the past, had led to commands for dates or other 'favors' that higher ranking officers thought they deserved...He proved himself to be that type by pausing to look her up and down as she approached, judgeing her. And from his look, finding her sufficient as a woman but lacking as a soldier of any rank above 'Recreation'.  
"I need you to deliver this message to LT. Zechs Marquess!" He shouted loudly as if to tell everyone in the room he was giving her some important task. No one even noticed. "Can you do it?!" As if she couldn't find him in this base.  
"Yes, sir." Noin responded stoically.  
"What?" He demanded. Noin cursed under her breath, he was trying to make fun of her!  
"Yes, sir!" she snapped grabbing the sheet of printouts and turning away, but not fast enought that she didn't see him cock his head to admire her behind, causeing her to grit her teeth togther.  
"Oh, and Lucrezia?" he said. She turned back knowing exactly what he'd say. The entire room hushed a little allready disaproving of him. "I've heard about the formal ball this Saturday, I don't suppose you need an escort do you?" The entire room was silent. Frowning she turned and stalked away.  
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"Whats her problem?" The officer asked his commander. The commander glared. "I mean who does this Lucrezia girl think she is? She should be someone's secertary, not some two bit warrior; I mean we all know women can't fight."  
"Maybe you're just not looking deep enough." The commander answered.  
"Whats there to look for? Obviously shes just someones spoiled daugter, who can't fight worth a lick and has pride enough for some high warrior." He answered. " Lucrezia. Hmmp. Whoever heard of her?"  
The Commander glared and began to turn away, but he paused.  
"By the way her name is Lucrezia Noin." He said clearly.  
"Lucrezia Noin?" The man gulped. "Noin?"   
Suddenly realizeing exactly who he had insulted.   
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Noin smiled as the elivator opened into the command center. She quickly scanned the roster and realized LT. Zechs was on down time, which she could have guessed. Smiling at the door guards, who smiled cheerfully back, remembering her from the academy. Back in the elivator she decended four levels to the barracks for the common soldiers. When the doors opened she was startled by the lines of bunks and soldiers in fatigues. Smiling at them she punched the elivator door up to the next level where the officers were accomidated. Here the halls were pale beige, instead of the institutional green in the barracks.   
Walking down the halls she nocked at the door to Zech's quarters. The nock echoed back to the hall and she frowned. Noin waited patiently before nocking again, giving him his time to get to the door. Thinking back to their days at the acedemy she smiled, remembering their friendship. Givin his outrageous good looks he'd shied away from everyone except her, forming a strong bond between them. Of course he was only more outrageously gorgeous by now, pale platinum hair cascading down his back, his blue eyes sparkling behind that silver mask that hid emotions that his eyes couldn't. She'd become very good at reading his cobalt blue eyes.   
"Looking for Zechs?" Someone said behind her. Noin froze for a second, hearing the ice and threat in that voice. The only voice that scared her. Her, OZ's best Mobile Suit pilot and trainer, Lucrezia Noin.  
"Y-Yes, Sir." She said turning and saluting Trieze Khushrenada. He smiled trying to be congenial, and failing miserably. The fact that he had even tried scared Noin; what was he trying to calm her down for?  
"You look absolutely raveshing in your uniform, Lucrezia. A model soldier and warrior." Noin shivvered. "What did you need to see LT. Zechs for?"  
She didn't like the way he said that. Like she could be coming to see him instead, like it was her fault for not coming to see him.  
"An urgent message, sir. It has to be delivered now." she answered.  
He snorted and pointed down the hallway before walking away. Noin slouched against the door frame momentarily to regain her strength before heading in the direction Trieze had pointed her in.   
Startled, Noin stoped, stareing at the end of the hall. The only room left was the showers. The men's showers to be more specific. Listening carefully she could just barely hear a shower running.   
"You'd have to be in the shower..." Noin murmured, blushing. Seconds later the shower cut off, allmost like some sort of blessing. She sighed. It wasn't like she haddn't fantasized about catching him in the shower-or anywhere else for that matter- but the thought of walking in on him, just out of the shower, and scantily clad to deliver a message was entirely out of the question.  
Slumping against the wall she let her mind drift back to that image. Her supperior wearing only a beige terry cloth towel that was just barely hanging on to his slim hips. His hair hanging limply down his back, damp and pale. She could only picture him with his helmet on though; she'd never seen him without it.  
"Dammit." She murmured. "I have to deliver this message." Steeling herself and grinning wolfishly Noin opened the door to the men's showers and walked inside. The room was hotter and damper than the halls and she had to resist the urge to pull her coat off. Ahead were racks of lockers, painted navy blue and numbered. Walking into the long halls of lockers she scanned for Zechs.  
"Noin?" She spun, blushing that she had been caught in the men's showers. The older man in full uniform and damp hair was Captain Tetsa.  
"Captain." She said back nervous. He snorted.  
"You're not doing anything I have to report you for, right Noin?" He asked. She blushed even worse.  
"N-No sir. I was supposed to deliver an urgent message to LT. Zechs, and Treize said he was in here." she replied. Why did she have to stutter? It made her sound like she had done something bad, like she was guilty of something worse than sneaking into the men's showers and lusting after her ranking officer and friend.  
"Ah," The Captain said. "His locker is over there somewhere, then." Waving a hand in a general direction, he turned and left the way she had come. Noin nodded and went where he'd told her to, still looking for Zechs.  
Rounding the final corner of lockers she walked right into his arms. Wide eyed she stared, meeting his cobalt blue eyes through his silvery mask, surveying the blonde locks that hung limply under his mask and down the back of his neck. Suddenly realizing exactly whose arms she was in Noin jumped back a step until she was clear of his personal space. Zechs, for that matter, was still stareing at her as if fumbling to place her in his memeory, but in his eyes she could read shock. Finally he shook his head slightly and flinched looking away from her, stepping back behind the wall of lockers. Belatedly she realized that he was in the same state of undress she'd imagined him in; only a low slung towel, its only difference was that it was navy blue instead of beige. She felt herself blushing. She silently watched as he put on deoderant and he studdied her. Noin couldn't get over how his uniform had covered his finely chisled muscles.  
"Well?" He asked. She looked up startled that he had said anything. For a second she couldn't remember why she was there and she felt the blush return. Zechs smiled charmingly watching her fumble to remember why she was there. "I really do hope, Noin, that you haven't lowered your entertainment values enought that wandering the men's showers on your breaks is the highlight of your day."  
Just as he had intended she burst out laughing. And blushing.  
"No." She answered. "I'm running erands for a new Commander."   
Zech's eyes glimered in interest.  
"I was sure messenger boy was above your rank." He smirked. "But with that hair length...Well, you just never know."  
Noin was outraged. How dare he bring back his best weapon at the acedemy, her hair! He'd teased her about it every day back then.  
"How dare you!" she snapped. He looked shocked, like he haddn't expected this from her. "Helmet boy!" she retorted. Ok, weak retort, but she was out of practice. It wasn't like she called her ranking officers bad names when they yelled at her after missions. Oh god! She'd just called a very ranking officer a name! Noin collapsed to her knees suddenly afraid he was going to fire or kill her or both, even if thay had been friends in the academy.  
Zechs was startled. Noin was still as firey and feisty as he remembered her; honestly he'd expected OZ to hammer her into some beautiful but subservant soldier. He laughed makeing Noin jump. He reached down and held out a hand for her.  
"Oh, get up." he ordered, laughter in his voice. She looked up and took his hand reluctantly. She was blushing again. "I haven't been called anything like that recently, though I'm sure some of the Gundams would like to." He dropped her hand and reached for his pants. Blushing Noin steped back several feet around the wall of lockers so he could change.  
"So what did you come in here for?"  
Noin gritted her teeth together, realizing she still hadn't delivered the message.  
"I was supposed to be delivering a message to you. The new commander thought he was giving me a real honor by letting me do the leg work for him." She sighed, infuriated with the male species and them looking down on her. "Whats even worse is the new guy treats me like I'm just another foot soldier, battle fodder." She paused to glare at the wall. "So I had to track you down and deliver the message. You know Treize was the one who pointed me into here..."  
"Hmmm," Zechs answered. "I didn't think he was keeping track of me."  
"I didn't know he was either." Noin answered.  
"So whats the message?"  
Noin blushed and tried to sound indignant.  
"I haven't read it."  
Zechs snorted.  
"When did you stop?"  
"I have never read other people's notes and messages!" Noin yelped.  
"Thats not what I remembered from the academy; especially that time you were in computer technology and accessed Mrs. Bomant's personal notes." He paused allmost listening for her to blush. "Didn't you print those files and, ah, keep them for-"  
"Oh, shut up!" She said flameing. "You had your own copy as I remember!" The other side of the lockers was silent. Noin grinned winningly.   
"Alright, alright, let the past be!" Zechs answered. He really didn't want his past exploits in blackmail to come up now. "Just give me the damn letter." Zechs stalked around the lockers grumbling good naturedly and snatched it from her. Without letting her see it he tore it open and read it himself before smirking secretly. It did exactly what he had hoped; she blushed and gritted her teeth, infuriated. Of course there was nothing really pertaining to her in the letter, it was about that formal ball next weekend; his supperiors were allmost ordering him to be there. He hated these formal dinners and parties, all the stuffed shirts and old men from the very begining days of Romafeller wanting to tell him their stories of battle back when there were no mobile suits, or if you had one how thin its armor was, or fast it ran out of bullets, all of the old men trying desperatly to make him feel excessivly lucky because he had the Tallgeese, and why the hell haddn't he killed the Gundams yet? Tallgeese was more than enough to do the job, right? Unconciously Zechs gritted his own teeth and crumpled the paper in his hand.  
Noin watched his reaction curious at the anger he showed. She guessed he was being ordered into doing something he didn't want to do.  
"Well," Noin said. "Now that I've deliveered the message I have to get going...Bye Zechs." She turned away from her overly cute, but scowling LT.  
Zechs watched her retreat and his eyes flickered from her to the paper he'd crumpled. An idea came to him.  
"Hey Noin?" He asked and she stoped to look back. He instantly felt nervous. "Are you going to the formal ball?" She shook her head no.  
"Don't have a date." she answered thinking back to her commander.  
"They've ordered me to be there, and you know how I hate these things." He gulped, feeling like he was facing down all of the Gundams unarmed. "I don't suppose you'd go with me?"  
Noin's heart fluttered. Not only had she seen Zechs in only a towel he was asking her to go to the formal with him. She blushed unconciously.  
"Of course I will." Noin answered feeling much more elation than she let her voice show.  
"Thank you." He answered, greatfully. Noin smiled charmingly and turned her heels to walk out of the showers and get back to work. At her work station Noin couldn't keep the grin off her face, which made the gossips whisper louder.  
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In the locker room Zechs finished dressing and slammed his locker shut with a whoop of joy.  
  
the end  



	2. The Formal

The Formal  
  
Some things in OZ could be ignored. The Formal OZ Ball was not one of them. Months before it would happen comities would be decided to plan and plot the entire ball. By the time it was formally announced everyone was already in a frenzy over dates and ball gowns. Gossip was hottest just before that ball and the days after.  
"Reminds you of the academy right before the Senior Prom, doesn't it?" Zechs asked. Noin nodded.  
"But this..." She answered. "This is so much worse. Just think, the Gundams are only teenagers and I bet they'd have more self control than this. Did you see Lady Une skipping down the hall the other day?"  
Zechs snorted. He had seen and the image was now engraved forever in his mind. He'd been psychologically damaged.  
"Well, I have to go get myself ready for the Ball; see you there Zechs?" Noin asked.  
"Meet you at the entrance hall, before the formal entrances begin." He answered. When Noin had left he looked to his watch. It was only two hours until the ball actually began, he smirked, most of the OZ women had been getting ready for the ball for the last six hours. In fact he should have started getting ready an hour ago, but he hadn't wanted to seem like he was too engaged with his personal appearance. He got up and went to his rooms.  
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Noin quickly showered in the showering rooms and headed back through the halls to her quarters wearing only a robe, sure that she wouldn't get caught out of uniform. She made it to her room and dropped the robe inside the shut door. Pausing only a few seconds she combed her hair to the side and put a little gel in it to hold it in place. Then she put on her perfume, something bitter sweet that vaguely smelled like the color purple. Glancing to the wall mounted clock on the wall she hissed, worried that she might not make it on time, she reached for her dress and slipped it over her head. Yards of purple velvet cascaded around her and Noin suddenly felt foolish, she wished she could wear her uniform. Struggling with the hidden back zipper of the dress she smiled at herself in the mirror; the dress complimented her perfectly. It had long sleeves with open flared wrists, a tight corset fit, and the skirt billowed out dramatically covering the floor around herself. Which not only complimented her figure it hid her shoes.   
"Shoes!" She moaned before looking to the closet. The one thing she couldn't stand were high heels or dress shoes. So she had finally come up with the solution of shredding an old pair of military boots from the academy; cutting the boots from thigh length to ankle length. Grabbing the shoes she quickly stepped into them while doing her makeup in the mirror.   
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Zechs took his time brushing his hair, trying to work all the kinks out of his silvery mane. Maybe it was his pride and joy, but it was a pain to keep in order. Looking to the clock he realized he'd better hurry up and get his uniform on. He snorted at the formal uniform, horrible starched thing that it was; the worse part was that it was the exact same uniform he wore at any other time, this one was just starched so that it itched. Grumbling silently he pulled on a stiff white shirt and then his vest, carefully lifting his hair out of the way before fastening either of them. Then he slid his boots on, which had taken him 3 hours to buff this morning, over his spotless white breeches. Knowing he could not escape the inevitable Zechs pulled on his formal military jacket, and buttoned it, hating the feel of the stiff collar. Finally he arranged his hair over his back and put on his helmet.  
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Noin was the first one to the entrance hall, and she paused to politely stare at the decorations. The potted palm trees were strung with small twinkling lights, giving only a hint of what lay inside the ball room.  
"Well, funny to see you here, Noin." she turned to see her awful commander that had ordered her to come as his date. "I was sure the common foot soldiers weren't allowed in this entrance with us nobles and officers." Several officers had turned to stare at the commotion he was creating. He paused giving her a chance to make a rebuttal and as she opened her mouth he silenced her. "Well, if you're here than I assume you need a date, and lucky me. I'm free tonight." He said grabbing her arm and linking it with his.  
"Let me go." Noin demanded. He glared and tightened his grip.  
"I believe she told you to let her go." Zechs said clearing his throat. The sound of his commanding tones caused more people to turn than her officer's scene.  
"Sir? She's a common foot soldier who is trying to mingle with the officers, I was just going to escort her out when you arrived." The commander answered.  
"From what I heard you were trying to forcefully pick a date with her." A murmur had arisen amongst the officers. A disapproving murmur.  
"She has no date!" The Commander protested.  
"She is here as My date." Zechs answered and the commander paled backing away from both of them. At that moment he felt psychic and he saw himself manning a radio tower in Antarctica, alone, a week from now. As he turned to leave Zechs spoke one last time. "What a horrible man." The stares from the other officers was downright condemning and the commander didn't even bother to look up.  
Zechs turned back to Noin.  
"He didn't do anything else to you did he?" He asked. She shook her head; no. They both looked up as the music started. He snorted. "Well, here we go." He said linking arms with her. Following Treize's lead they walked down the hall slowly and into the ball room. Zechs took the chance to hum the wedding march, causing Noin to laugh as soon as they were in the ball room. "We have the first dance as well." Zechs answered. As she turned into his arms she elbowed him and he frowned.  
"Of course I knew that." She reminded him. "Remember that summer when we were eleven? My father took us to the Electra base and-"  
"We snuck into the balconies above the ball." Zechs answered smirking. He put a hand on Noin's waist, guiding her into the waltz. "I've missed you so much." He said suddenly his hand on her waist and her hand tightened. Noin was startled.  
"I've missed you too." Noin answered. "It really has been a long time since the academy. Since I've connected with anyone." Zechs nodded, his eyes a charming blue.  
"God." Zechs murmured seconds later.  
"What?"  
"Lady Une. She's on the sidelines of the ball," he paused, horrified. "Bouncing in joy." He spun them so that Noin could see. She trembled. Here was one of OZ's finest, bouncing for joy at a ball.  
"Remind me to let the Gundams kill me next battle." Zechs murmured. Noin laughed.   
"Its not that bad is it?" She asked.  
"She's one of my ranking officers, she can order me around, Noin, I don't need to see her acting like a sugar buzzed child." He answered.  
"Well, there has to be something good about the ball, right?" Noin asked.  
"Company's good." He answered making her blush. As the dance ended he slowed them and stopped releasing her. "Lets get some drinks." Zechs said seeing the line of ladies watching him hopefully. As they turned towards the bar he say another line of young soldier women. "Anything you can do to save me?" Zechs asked. Noin smiled benevolently at him, almost innocently.  
"I'll buy the drinks and loan you the aspirin for your sore feet." She answered. Zechs scowled ineffectively.  
"You're not buying the drinks." He said finally. "But the aspirin is welcome. Rum ok?"  
"Straight?" Noin asked. Zechs nodded. "Remember party night on campus?" He nodded again while ordering their shots. "The next day you were so sick-"  
"Hey," Zechs answered. "Lets not let that little secret get out." he held her shot out of her reach. "Deal?"  
"Deal for me not telling everyone you couldn't hold your alcohol back then?" She asked lowering her tone and leaning in closer to him. Zechs scowled when she retrieved the shot glass with out him even struggling. She nocked it back easily while he sipped at his. "It was pretty funny watching you stumble around the next morning, bumping into walls."  
"I saw the tapes you made." He answered. Noin watched his eyes and saw the blush show there, as he focused on the bar top.  
"Remember how I was after that freshmen party?" she asked shifting the bad light on to herself. It worked and he smirked, laughing silently, his cobalt blue eyes coming up to meet hers.  
"Yes." He said. "Too well for your own good, perhaps."  
"Oh, really?" Noin demanded.  
"I was asleep in my room and I came downstairs and you were telling the refrigerator all of your deepest secrets. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff that came out of your mouth." He grinned. "And then you wouldn't let go of the floor because you thought you might fall off of it, so I had to drag you upstairs by your feet."  
"Lets drop the being drunk subject." Noin answered huffing.  
"But we haven't even gotten to the part about your nightmares." Zechs protested. That really got her to blush. That part she remembered clearly enough. She'd woken up just after he'd put her to bed, from a nightmare, and crawled into his bed. Zechs was a horribly deep sleeper and she'd crawled into his arms and slept with him all night. When his alarm clock had gone off the next morning they'd woken up at the same time, tangled in each others arms and legs.  
Zechs watched as she blushed furiously. He took the chance to study her dress. It really fit her nicely, and the color accented her hair. Glancing around Zechs verified what he had previously thought, the billowed skirt wasn't as fashionable this year as before. In fact she was the only one wearing one of that style and it made her stand out beautifully.  
"Another waltz is starting." Zechs said as he finished his rum. Noin nodded and let him lead her on to the ball room floor. "We can change the subject, if you want to." Zechs said after a minute of silence.  
"I'm not upset." Noin answered smiling. "I'm just remembering. I hadn't thought of that in years." Actually the thought of sleeping in his arms was a common one. A very common one.  
Zechs mentally frowned at her answer. He'd thought about it more often that he was willing to admit. Noin saw the frown in his eyes, and she smiled to get him to smile.  
"You dance remarkably well for wearing high heels." Zechs said leading her into a whirl. Noin giggled at their speed and at him. "What?" Zechs asked. "Am I missing out on a secret?" She nodded. He sighed, feigning frustration. The years in the academy had taught him that she could not be forced into revealing a secret.  
"I'll tell you later, don't pout." Noin reprimanded.   
"I do not pout." Zechs answered, laughing.  
"Mind if I cut in?"  
The new voice made them freeze in their tracks and Noin saw the frown flash in his eyes, just barely there. The girl stood there, her gaze not even acknowledging Noin's presence, puppy eyed at Zechs. Noin felt bad for him, and suddenly understood why he was ordered to things like this. She recognized the girl as Commander Fiona's daughter, Selindra. Looking across the room she saw the Commander watching Zechs. Reluctantly she stepped out of his arms and retreated to a table.  
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Watching Zechs dance with perhaps the 12th girl, not that she was counting, Noin felt lonely. She had really begun to hate the idea of puppy eyes and was reverently praying that she never made such a fool of herself.  
"Did you get abandoned?" Treize asked as he sat down beside her. All feelings of hate of loneliness vanished.  
"Not really," Noin answered being cordial. "Getting kicked off the playing field would be more appropriate."  
Treize laughed.  
"Yes, well, he's popular. I still don't understand why we have to order him to be here." Treize answered, eyeing the line of girls appraisingly, which only disgusted Noin. In the distance she saw Lady Une approaching; she was carefully studying Treize's back, with a sort of pleading look on her face.  
"Sir?" Lady Une asked standing behind him. He didn't even turn to look at her.  
"Yes?"  
"Well, sir, I was wondering if you would waltz with me..." Noin was happy, not just because Treize would be leaving but because Lady Une looked so hopeful; so this was what she had been skipping for, earlier.  
"Can't you see I'm busy?" He snapped and her face fell. He hadn't even looked at her. Noin frowned at him and watched as Lady Une ran across the room to the bathrooms. How could he be that heartless?  
Noin shoved her chair back and left the table without a word to Treize. His indignant stare followed her across the room.  
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Noin silently slipped into the bathrooms. Thank god they were empty; against the refrain of the waltz she could hear sobbing. Bastard, she thought. Noin followed the sound to the powder room and found Lady Une collapsed against the vanity, her arms pillowed on it. Even if Lady Une didn't have the best humanitarian reputation she didn't deserve this. Noin sat down beside her and put her arms around the sobbing general. Without looking up Lady Une curled into her seeking comfort.  
"Shhhh." Noin murmured trying to calm her. "Its ok. Everythings going to be ok."  
"I love him...Why can't he see that?" Lady Une cried giving Noin all the more reason to pity her. Poor, poor Lady Une; and Treize had to be such a jerk and not even glanced her way.   
"Hush..." Noin murmured, "It'll be alright...I'm sure if you're persistent he'll notice you."  
"Oh, Really?" Lady Une said looking up, too much hope in her eyes. "Do you really think so?" She was already scrubbing at her tears and glancing to the mirror to fix her makeup. Noin nodded, trying not to crush the hope there. "Thank you." Lady Une said crushing her in a hug as soon as Noin stood up. Noin silently watched as Lady Une walked out the door, blindly hopeful.  
She stayed a second to check her makeup and her hair before going back out to the ball.  
Glancing around she saw Zechs perched at the bar, his back to the line of beautiful young girls. Noin smirked before approaching him and elbowing her way in between him and the general beside him. Zechs moaned balefully and grabbed her arm in a death grip.  
"You have to save me from them, Noin!" He demanded in a whisper. "If I waltz one more girl I don't know I'll heave!"   
"How about we have another round of drinks...," Noin said smiling and seeing the relief in his eyes. "And then we go for another round of waltzes."  
Zechs frowned.  
"Somehow I think you're getting the better end of the deal; you don't have to listen to the mindless banter of these girls." His tone dropped conspiratorially and Noin leaned closer. "Some of them are talking about marriage." He gulped. "To me." Noin snickered. "And I don't even know their names." Zechs glanced back at the girls who favored him with sugar coated smiles. He shivered in horror. "God, could you see me tied down to one of them?"  
Noin wondered, did he think unfavorably of the married state or was it just the though of being married to one of them?  
"It'd be horrible. Some pretty face without a mind of her own, hammered into the form of a perfect wife by her family and breeding schools." Noin thought he actually looked shaken; as he paused to catch his breath she order another round of rum. "She wouldn't even have to be in love with me; just her thoughts or her family thoughts of Zechs Marquess, of what an honor it would be to catch me. To have me tied down," Noin blushed and shook the visual out of her head, mildly scolding herself; she'd die if he ever found out she though of him like that- tied down to her bed that was. "To their family line; i could just see her parents when their old and grey sitting somewhere boasting like I'm some prize or title that their daughter managed to catch, neither parent really caring whether or not we were meant for each other. It really is sick that way." Their drinks arrived and Zechs nocked his straight back and then turned to glance out at the crowd dismissing one of the girls striding toward him determinedly. "I want to meet someone who could care less who I am, or what my titles are. Someone with passion and fire, someone feisty. Someone who doesn't have to know what my face looks like..."  
"So are you opposed to marriage?" Noin asked unsure. He smirked and chuckled.  
"Not at all." He answered smiling. "I just want an adversary I'm equal to. I want to meet my match."  
"Maybe you should marry one of the Gundams." Noin answered laughing, which made him laugh and almost spill his shot glass on himself.  
"No ones done that in a long time." Zechs answered clutching at his side.  
"What?" Noin asked still laughing.  
"My ribs are killing me." He answered. "Come on." He said dragging her towards the ball room floor, almost plowing through a group of the young socialites sent to stalk him. On the floor Zechs wrapped an arm around her waist and wrapped one of her smaller hands in his, guiding her back into the waltz.  
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"You never told me how you managed to survive the last three hours of the ball, waltzing with me, with those heels on." Zechs said outside of Noin's quarters. They were sitting in the hall way giggling and discussing the Formal. Noin laughed and lifted her head off her knees to push her feet out past the skirt bottom.  
"I didn't wear heels, silly." Noin answered, giddy at the alcohol in her blood. "I trimmed up an old pair of boots from the academy."  
There was a metallic thud from the wall beside her and Noin looked up giggling to see Zechs holding the back of his helmet and laughing.  
"What did you do?" She asked through giggles.  
"I hit my helmet on the wall laughing about your boots!" He answered. "Ow." It only made Noin laugh more which made Zechs laugh more.  
"Stop it!" Noin tried to order, shoving him.  
"Stop what?" Zechs asked shoving her back.  
"Stop laughing! My sides are cramping..." Noin answered shoving him again, hard enough that he had to use his arm to steady himself.  
"You stop first!" he answered, and yelped as she resorted to grabbing a fistful of his hair. Noin paused just a second to run her fingers over the blond strands, loving the feel of it, then she tightened her hand into a fist, feeling it slide like silk between her fingers. Pulling on his hair slightly Zechs had to scoot closer to Noin, and she lifted her hand to smell his hair. It smelled so good. His whimper brought her back to reality and she realized he had his back turned to her, one hand on his helmet to keep it on, the other hand under his helmet against his scalp to keep her from ripping out his hair. "Mercy, Noin! Mercy!" Zechs cried. Noin laughed playfully and the motion tugged on his hair. Loosing his balance Zechs tumbled back against Noin's chest and into her lap. Both their laughters stopped suddenly at the close proximity; cobalt eyes glued to dusky grey, both wide in shock at the turn of events.  
"Get a room!" a girl called from down the hall, spurring both off them into motion. Zechs stood up quickly and helped Noin to her feet, both of them blushing and avoiding each other's eyes. Noin silently calculated how many doors down that cat call had come from and decided to kill its owner tomorrow. It had felt so nice to have him in her arms, his weight against her, and all of that soft silvery blonde hair cascading down her arm from where his head had rested on her shoulder.   
As she was about to retreat into her quarters, silently embarrassed, his hand wrapped around her upper arm stopping her. Noin looked up into his face reading his eyes.  
"Thank you...," He said smiling, as his hair cascaded around his mask and down his shoulders. "For tonight, and for bailing me out at the Formal-"  
"It was nothing." She answered too quickly, and blushed hoping he hadn't realized why she had said that.  
"Yes, it was." Zechs answered. "It means a lot to me that I had your company tonight. I'd forgotten how much I missed you since the academy." He suddenly pulled Noin into a hug. "Thank you."  
Noin looked up to him enjoying the feel of his arms around her.  
"You're welcome."  
  
  



	3. Crash and Burn

  
As Zechs quietly tinkered with the weapons system, readjusting the amount of gasses released at any one moment, he thought about last night with Noin. Since the Formal they'd been inseparable. They ate together, laughing almost too much to eat, remembering their antics from the Academy. Zechs had even taken it upon himself to do some of her training rather than letting her musty old teachers do it. Somehow the thought of being locked in a dark, cramped, simulation chamber with her for hours wasn't the worst thing he could be doing with his time.  
Zechs looked up from matinance on his Tallgeese. The radio in the console was reporting one of the training missions, Noin's to be exact; he'd wished her good luck on it last night.  
"Captain, I'm getting a power reading in sector five." She was saying, and Zechs imagined sector five; it was barren scrub land where defunct mobile suits were trashed and rookies were made to live out in for a week of survival schooling.  
"There can't be a power source there." Her captain responded, confirming Zechs's thoughts. Zechs huffed, annoyed as his hair got in his face, and he brushed it back impatiently. "Maxell Two, branch off in solo position to check readings." Maxell was the team name, One being the captain in charge, Two was the second in command. Zechs listened to the faint hiss of static, waiting for Maxell Two to report what it found.  
"Capta-!" The shout was cut off in mid word and Zechs recoiled from his control pannle, having heard too many cut off sentances in battle. Unlikely as it was, Zechs prayed that he wouldn't hear the next all too familiar cry.  
"It's a Gundam!" Noin yelled.   
"It's zero five, sir!" Another soldier yelled. In the back round of that voice Zechs could hear several of the soldiers screaming like babies. "No!"  
His hands tightened compulsively on the controls, in reaction to what he was hearing; this couldn't be happening now or here or with Noin.  
"Back up, we need back-!" a soldier screamed.  
"I'm not letting this happen to her." Zechs murmured pulling the hatch shut and recklessly snapping his seat belt in.  
"I want clearance out of this hanger!" He yelled at the radio receiver. There was a startled burst of static from it as someone received his message.  
"Sir, we can't do that." One of them meekly responded.  
"Give me clearance and get those doors open or I'll open them myself." He grated as Tallgeese powered up, its engines beginning to glow as the work crew cleared the floor.  
"Go, go!" The radio snapped, drowning out the radio controller; it was Treize. "Get out there now!"  
With screams in the background of his radio Zechs watched the hanger doors open.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Noin watched as the team leader went down, his guns still firing as Zero Five stabbed its spear through the chest armor, she saw the arms of the mobile suit suddenly go limp and its whole body sagged onto the spear; her captain had been killed. She realized she was the last one standing besides the Gundam. Its head slowly turned in her direction and the eyes burned green fire. Without thinking Noin made the mobile suit back up a step.  
The Gundam raised one of its arms and she saw the dragon fangs extend, ready to launch at her. There was a thud and a screech of metal as it collided with the left shoulder of her mobile suit and Noin lurched in the seat harness as the Gundam dragged her closer. The other hand came up, swiftly, and tore the door of the cabin and gave it a rough shake. Noin screamed. The Gundam paused for a second and she could almost hear it smirk.  
"I've always enjoyed women." She heard its pilot say over its intercom. It gave the mobile suit another rough shake and she felt the straps holding her in tear, Noin plummeted to the ground and landed with a crunch. She screamed painfully as ribs were broken, and then looked up to see the Gundam pilot repelling out of his ship. It was that Chinese kid. And he had a sword in his hand.  
Noin back peddled on the ground and he smiled as she grabbed her side in agony.  
"Well," He said, and Noin looked up at him as he let go of the ripcord. "Looks like a warrior..." He laughed. "A woman is not a warrior. You are not a warrior!" The boy was only a few feet away now, and he stabbed the sword into the ground and advanced on her. "I don't even know what OZ is doing sending people like you out to the battlefield." Noin was curled in on herself gasping for breath, he'd kicked her to punctuate the sentence. He landed another kick on her exposed side, the side she'd broken in the fall; Noin screamed. He laughed. "What are you thinking? Are you thinking that OZ will send anyone out here for you?" He laughed again. "They won't even come for your Mobile Suits." He kicked her again. "You're nothing, you're not wanted. No one is coming for you, no one wants you, no one needs you." The boy dropped to his knees beside her and wrapped a hand around her throat. "Because you're nothing." Noin dug her fingers into his hand until blood was dripping onto her neck. Suddenly he let go and stood up, reaching for the sword. As Noin gasped for air, she tried to crawl away and felt a twinge in her other side, more broken ribs. The Gundam pilot stepped on her pant leg, stopping her retreat and he raised the sword. Noin screamed as he rammed it into her shoulder.  
"Pain is a good thing..." The Chinese boy said. "It separates the weak..." He gave the sword a brutal twist. "From the strong." Noin felt lightheaded from the pain. The Gundam pilot pulled the sword loose and stabbed it into her opposite shoulder eliciting another scream of agony from her. The pilot laughed.  
He looked up startled as a sudden gust of wind blew debris into his eyes. TallGeese was approaching. And it was already too close for him to pull the sword again and cut her head off.  
WuFei frowned and retreated to his Gundam, taking off before the LT. had a chance to land.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Zechs watched as the pilot left the scene of the crime, his cameras straining themselves to see if Noin lived or died.   
"Please, let her be alive." He demanded of the silent cockpit. "Don't die on me, Noin." He could see blood staining the shoulders of her uniform, settling into a pool around her on the side of an ancient Aquarius Mobile Suit. He saw the sword standing in her wound, where the Gundam pilot had abandoned it during his escape. Zechs knew she wasn't alive. He felt the tears pour down his cheeks, scaldingly hot, trapped between his skin and his mask. She was dead and he wasn't sure how he could live without her. Noin had come to mean so much to him, reminding him of their fun and follies from the Academy.  
Dropping TallGeese into a landing position, Zechs opened the hatch and tumbled out onto the Aquarius Suit, scrabbling towards her.  
"Noin?" He cried, tugging at the sword. It came loose and he dropped it listlessly as more blood welled up. Somehow he wanted to scream with joy, flowing blood meant she was still alive-and that she could die from blood loss he reminded himself. Zechs reached for the waistband of her pants and quickly pulled her belt out of its loops. Working quickly Zechs stripped off his jacket and reached for the sword to split it into two pieces. Desperately he wadded the half jacket and used her belt as a tourniquet to stop the blood flow on one arm. Using his own belt he rolled the other half of his jacket against the other wound to stop her bleeding.   
Admiring his work for a moment, and deciding it would do for a field dressing, Zechs saw the pallor of her skin and knew she had little time.   
"I am not losing you. Not now." Zechs slid his arms under her knees and shoulders, feeling the blood soak his palm, and lifted her against his chest, cradling her, and he ran for the TallGeese. The cabin of the TallGeese was built for one and with Noin laying limply across his lap it was hard to reach some of the controls. Slamming his fist onto the radio it activated.  
"I need medic units for her! Now!" Zechs ordered. It squawked startled and was drowned out as he fired the engines lifting off. Proximity warnings began to go off immediately and Zechs looked up startled, to see the Zero Five filling the screen. His left arm was wrapped around Noin, cradling her shoulders, and that was the hand that controlled speed and direction controls. Using his right hand Zechs lashed out and hit the sabre activation pannle, and felt the TallGeese move as he had ordered it, to draw the sabre. Keeping up the velocity the sabre glanced right past the Zero Five's head and TallGeese's knee slammed into the chest portion of the Gundam sending its spinning. Reaching for another control pannle Zechs stretched to reach the button that would convert all controls to the chosen control stick.  
The cabin suddenly lurched to the side with an impact and Zechs was slammed against the chair's restraints. He gritted his teeth in agony as the shoulder with the arm holding Noin was slammed out of socket. The only thing that softened the pain was knowing that her head had been cradled by his arm and she hadn't been hurt worse. Stretching again he mashed the controls and transferred power to the right hand joy stick. Turning the TallGeese back Zechs rammed the Gundam again, sending it sprawling as he sped towards the base. Over his radio he could hear the pilot yelling something about being a coward.  
"Medic!" Zechs yelled again over the Gundam's voice to his base. In the camera rear view he could see the Gundam turning on its heels and leaving the battle field, in an angry retreat.  
Flexing his left arm to hold Noin tighter he felt the tendons and muscles pulling painfully against the dislocated socket and bone. Her face was buried against his neck and he could just barely feel the breath there; he could feel his own sweat dripping down the inside of his mask and the back of his neck, chilling where her breath was hitching.  
"Just hold on Noin, we're almost there." He murmured, as he tried to level off the TallGeese evenly for some sort of soft landing. "Please TallGeese, land safely." He pleaded with the mobile suit as he pulled the stick back harshly bringing the suit around. Without his orders TallGeese fell to its knees, cutting off its engines, and propping itself up on its arms, so the doorway was only feet above the ground. Artificial Intelligence was a blessing at times. Kicking at the hatch release the door opened and Zechs jumped out holding Noin against his chest. Medics were holding the doors open for him and he rushed across the cement ignoring his own pain.   
"Please, take care of her." He said as he laid her out onto the gurney they had waiting. Running along side the doctors he listened to their hurried commands, and diagnoses. They wheeled her through a set of doors and he stopped, defeated, knowing he could no longer follow them. Instead he sank down into one of the chairs to wait for them, or her, or anything.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Sir?"  
Zechs looked up, startled.  
"Sir?" It was one of the nurses, and it was too soon for them to be done with Noin, unless something had gone wrong. "LT. Zechs, if you would come with me?" He silently got up and followed her, shocked, they'd lost Noin. She'd died on the operation table and they needed him to give a formal report and identify the body. The young nurse led him into one of the small spotlessly white hospital rooms. He stared, wondering where they'd put Noin's body.  
"If you would get on the table and remove your shirt, Sir." She asked.  
"Why?" Zechs asked, startled. She chuckled a little and smiled at him, flirting, which he despised.  
"Sir, your shoulder is out of socket, we need to examine it and reset it." Her smile brightened, sickeningly, "And you need to remove your helmet- I mean mask." She fumbled. Zechs frowned severely at her.  
"I will not." He answered as two doctors walked in. Comrades from the Academy.  
"Doctor, he won't remove his mask." She whined.  
"Out!" The doctor yelled, at her. "Out, Sylvia." As she scampered for the door, the doctor smiled to him. "Don't worry, Zechs, you don't have to let us remove it. I'm sure you can do the field dressings well enough on your own."  
"What do you mean?" He asked as he slowly removed his jacket, suddenly reminded about his shoulder and its pain.  
"You're bleeding." The doctor said as Zechs looked down and saw the stain on his collar. "You'll need some pain medication."  
Zechs dropped his shirt and climbed onto the table, wincing when he saw the gaping pocket left by his dislocated shoulder. Ignoring the pain he let the doctor examine the wound, fingers pressing against the socket and muscles. The one who'd been speaking earlier grabbed Zechs' biceps and lifted it, slamming it against his shoulder suddenly. The LT. only winced and tightened his hold on the edge of the table. The bones grated and refused to set; the doctor shifted his angle and tried again; this time Zechs could hear the grate of bones trying to realign. Finally the doctor held Zechs' arm vertical to the wound and put his entire weight into pulling it downward. The crunch was enough to make the doctor wince.  
"We'll get you some pain pills," The doctor said as Zechs sat up gingerly. "And first aid supplies so you can bandage your wound."  
"How is Noin?" Zechs asked.  
"She's lost a lot of blood," The doctor said, being frank. "Her lungs were nearly punctured, and she's got multiple broken ribs, along with a broken leg. You're the only reason she's alive now, but she might not pull through." The nurse appeared in the doorway holding a tray of antiseptics, gauze, and medical tape; among other things including needles and surgical thread. "This is everything you might need. Plus an arm brace." The doctor held up the blue and white brace and Zechs carefully put his arm into it while the doctor fastened it over his shoulders so that he couldn't flex it and put it out of socket again.   
"It's cold." Zechs murmured.  
"Yes, its fitted with a cold pack to reduce the swelling." The doctor held out several pills. "I suggest you take these after you're down with your bandages, they will nock off the pain." Then he turned and walked out the door, shutting it behind himself. Zechs paused for a second and then locked the door to keep that nurse out. He then stumbled towards the bathroom where the tray had been placed, dragging a chair behind himself. Behind the locked bathroom door he felt safe from prying eyes, and he tugged at the mask to lift it off. Blood stained his right cheek like war paint, trailing up to his temple and the edge of his hairline when he'd cracked his head against something at some point while rescuing Noin. Zechs filled the sink with hot water mechanically, his thoughts somewhere else, and he used a towel to scrub the blood off and out of his hair. The wound began to bleed immediately and he reached for the antiseptic, pouring it on the towel and mashing it against the wound until it screamed with fire. Then Zechs tore the gauze into a smaller strip, rolled it, and taped it against the wound.   
Finally he surveyed himself in the mirror. He was pale and his hair hung limp and damp around his face, sweat soaked. His shoulder was swollen and bruised, and probably would be for several days, and his forehead was taped with white gauze. Sighing he picked up his mask and surveyed it's blood and sweat soaked interior, before turing on the faucet and washing it out. Drying it quickly he put it back onto his head and unlocked the door to stagger back out into the room where he reached for his blood stained shirt. Unconcerned about his appearance he pulled off the arm brace and gingerly slid the shirt on and fastened the arm brace over it before he buttoned it. Picking up the pain pills he nocked them back without water and unlocked the door to the hallway.  
"Zechs!" Lady Une called, as he rounded the corner to the waiting room. She sounded shaken and terrified, so unlike the stern commander and general she was and she ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. Zechs sagged into her embrace weakly, and then stiffened in pain. "You're hurt." She said drawing back, apologizing.  
"They had to reset my arm in its socket, Lady." He answered sinking into one of the plastic chairs. She sat beside him, holding his hand.  
"What have they said?" She asked.  
"She's almost punctured her lungs, broken ribs, broken leg, blood loss. The Gundam Pilot stabbed her in the chest with a katana twice. They don't think she'll pull through." His hand rose up to press against his forehead as he closed his eyes. "I can't loose her, Lady..." He murmured his voice trailing off.  
Lady Une's hand tightened around his tightly, trying to offer comfort. She silently prayed that Noin would pull through, for Zechs' sake.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Zechs? Sir?" The doctor asked as he approached the warrior who was slumped dejectedly in the waiting room chair. Zechs stiffened, waiting for the bad news. "She's out of surgery, and we have her in a recovery room. Do you want to go sit with her?" Lady Une's hand tightened on his, and Zechs could only gape in shock, his mouth working like a fish out of water.  
"Where is she?" He asked bounding out of his chair.  
The doctor smiled halfheartedly and turned on his heels as two of OZ's best warriors followed him down the clean white hallway.   
"Is she better? Will she live?" Zechs asked, meekly.  
The doctor frowned.  
"She's hooked up to four IVs at the moment and several bags of plasma and whole blood. Her blood pressure dropped with the blood loss; she's barely hanging on as it is...," The doctor said as he stopped at an open door and stood aside for Zechs to go in. Noin lay on the white sheets limply, surrounded by the towers of IV racks. In the background a heart monitor bleeped monotonously, as if ticking her life away instead of giving it back to her. Her small frame was enlarged to football player size around her shoulders by bandages and tape; her sides swollen obscenely where they'd reset ribs and casted over them. Zechs collapsed into a chair feeling the life drained from him. His good arm snaked out onto her gurney to wrap around her small hand. "We can't do anything else for her but wait," The doctor sighed. "I'm sorry LT. Zechs." He backed out of the room and left.   
Behind him he heard Lady Une collapse into the other chair, her sniffling loud against the weak bleeping of the heart monitor. He closed his own eyes to lock in the pain he was feeling. He didn't know when he'd fallen in love with Noin, but he was certain he couldn't live without her now. Her strength and compassion, her total selflessness, and the overbriming sense of humor. Now the smile was gone, replaced by a pale dark eyed complexion lost in sleep. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the metal bar on the side of her gurney, refusing to cry.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sometime late that night, so late that it was really morning, Lady Une dried her tears and left. She had to sleep so she could preform her duties the next day. She'd offered her condolences and a favor.  
"Take all the time off you need," She said as she stood at the door studying Noin. "I'm you're commanding Officer so I can arrange it for you without docking your actual sick days and days off. I don't want you report back until she's better."  
Zechs had barely nodded from where he had his head resting against the bars, but was greatful none the less. Now that all the witnesses were gone he pulled down the bar on the side of her gurney and piled his head on his arms, so that he was on the same level as Noin. Her breathing was shallow and weak, and he studdied her pale profile.  
"Please Noin," He rasped. "Please don't leave me. I didn't know until now what you meant to me, I was so proud of you the night before last when you told me you got put on Maxell Team. I was on Maxell Team when I was training, its where they put the promising warriors. Our training paid off, all those hours running practice lessons and SIMs." He closed his eyes shutting in a sob. "You have to come back to me, just hold on, Noin." Zechs's hand rose and brushed her hair out of her face, his fingers gently feathering across her cheek. He was shocked at the coolness of her skin, how lifeless it was. His hand slid down, back to hers and he pillowed his head on his shoulder falling into restless sleep.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When Zechs woke up he felt bright sunshine on his shoulders and it was making him sweat, before he could wake up fully he was trying to shrug his helmet off and wondering why he'd slept with it on. The miserable bleeping of the heart monitor brought him back to reality and he sat up stiffly to survey her condition. Noin didn't look any better. Black eyes had formed overnight, giving her the sunken appearance of the dead, her lip swollen and split where she had been hit. Cradling her small hand in his own he turned her hand over, reading her palm as if it could solve her problems; her wrist was being devoured by needles and tubes as if the broken ribs could be replaced with IV solutions. Sitting up and stretching Zechs grasped his helmet and pushed it more firmly on, to conceal his face from that awful nurse and other prying eyes. Reaching across Noin he grabbed the call button, unwilling to abandon Noin. Minuets later the doctor arrived, looking almost panic stricken.  
"Yes?" He asked wondering if something was wrong.  
"Is there a way you can watch over her until I come back?" Zechs asked. "I don't want to leave her." The doctor nodded and sank down into the chair beside the window. Zechs nodded silently and fled the room.  
In the halls soldiers and officers dodged to get out of his way as he made his way to his quarters. Once in the room he grabbed a change of uniform and slammed the drawer shut angrily. The sound of his room door echoed in the halls like a thunderclap as he slammed it viciously and header for the showers. Stalking down the isle of lockers he saw, in his mind, Noin nervously walking down the isles, searching for him. When she'd finally found him she'd tumbled right into his arms, almost excicuting a kiss. Unconsciously Zechs' fingertips rose to his lips and he gasped for air raggedly. Not caring if anyone saw him he stripped quickly and efficiently, pausing only to survey his blood stained ruined shirt before tossing it into the garbage. Angrily he walked into the showers and turned the water up, scalding hot, letting steam fill the tiled room. Bracing his hands against the wall, Zechs bent his head under the onslaught of hot water, feeling it pour off his mask and onto his shoulders. Reaching up for his mask he yanked it off savagely and dropped it to the floor, ignoring the metallic thunk it made at his feet. The water matted his hair against his scalp and he felt the bandage there become heavy with water; disgusted he ripped it off. Snarling with rage Zechs hauled back and punched the tiled wall, feeling ceramic crunch under his knuckles and hot pain well up. Lifting his fist to his mouth he tasted blood.   
"Damn Zero Five." He grated out. His tone changed from threatening to apologetic, tinged with doubt. "There was nothing else I could do for you, Noin. I did everything I could." His cobalt eyes shut, locking in his pain. "I didn't know...Until you were going to die I didn't know what you meant to me. Now I don't know how I can live if you don't. Please Noin, come back to me, live." He pleaded.   
Biting back the sobs Zechs grabbed for the shampoo and quickly washed his hair and conditioned it. The blonde mane was his pride and joy, but he'd gladly shave it off if it would bring Noin back safe and sound. Cutting off the water and wrapping a towel around his lean hips, Zechs picked up his mask and walked back to his locker; this time setting the mask down gently on the shelf in his locker. Next he grabbed a hairbrush and systematically he began to brush his hair out until it flowed like pale silk. Seeing his reflection in the surface of the mask, Zechs frowned; Noin had never even see him without his mask on. If she wakes up, he thought as he pulled a pair of pants on, then he paused shaking himself; when, he corrected, when she wakes up I'll tell her- I'll change everything.  
Smiling grimly he finished buttoning his shirt and picked up his mask, fitting it firmly over his hair. The last thing he did was fasten the belt on his firearm, before turing and walking to the door. In the hall Treize Khushrenada stood waiting, arms crossed as if he had to give bad news.  
"W-what? Is something wrong with Noin?" Zechs asked. A thin, almost threatening smile formed on the OZ leaders mouth but was instantly gone.  
"No." Treize answered. "She's stabilized finally and I know you want to get back to her; But when you have the time, perhaps when she is sleeping, would you stop by my office? We have something to disgusts."Then the general nodded, dismissing him. Zechs moved as though he was fleeing.  
Back in the door way of her hospital room he saw the doctor recording her vital signs on a chart.   
"Any change?" He asked sinking into the chair beside her gurney, his hand instantly wrapping around hers; the doctor smiled faintly at the sign of endearment.  
"None, for the worse. In fact," The doctor said. "She appears to be getting better. We've managed to get four pints of blood into her and several more of IV solution which is bringing up her blood pressure; after that stabilizes she should wake up." The doctor favored the LT. with a smile before leaving.  
Zechs stared at Noin's sleeping form, shocked. Yesterday they'd giving her no hope for survival and now it sounded as if they expected a full recovery. Lifting her hand to his lips he gave her knuckles a courtly kiss, something he'd learned in the...He dropped the thought line and smiled brightly, refusing to think of his past at a time like this. Absently he reached out to brush her bangs out of her face, where they had feathered loosely.  
Settling back into the seat Zechs flexed his shoulder to see how much movement he'd gotten back into it; agonizingly he hissed in pain. Gritting his teeth Zechs rotated his shoulder past that point, feeling tendons strain, and he slowed his movements until every pulse of movement was pain, but he had to keep scar tissue from forming. Against his scalp and the cool of his metal mask he could feel sweat forming. He flinched as his arm swung around, moving easily, accompanied by a loud crack.   
Sighing, he settled into the chair more, the opposite hand rising to rub at his shoulder when it throbbed. Absently his fingers toyed with the ends of his hair as he waited. Shadows crept across the room stealing the light, and Zechs jumped as a nurse passed by and flicked the lights on. She smiled sweetly and he looked away, disgusted.  
"Is she getting better?" The girl purred, leaning against the door frame seductivly-or so she thought; as it was, Zechs knew the smokey quartz eyed girl would win, even if she was comatose.  
"Why do you care?" He demanded.  
"I'm a nurse, I'm supposed to care." Her purr echoed above him and Zechs didn't look up. Her hands gently landed on his shoulders and he could feel her perched above him. "For all my patients..." Zechs felt her grasp his mask and he was out of his chair in a second, nocking the girl over. His hand rose to his mask pulling it down firmly; not that she had seen anything.  
"What gives you any right to come after me?!" He demanded as she attempted to struggle to her feet. Absently he noticed the doctor in the doorway.  
"What happened here?" he demanded.  
"This nurse tried to remove my mask in an effort to seduce me." Zechs told him, while the nurse cowered on the floor.  
"Helen!" The doctor hissed angrily.  
"Nnnnn." Noin moaned.  
Zechs was at her side in a second, her hand wrapped around hers.  
"Noin?" He murmured, hopefully. Smokey quartz eyes fluttered weakly, her dark eyelashes like a stain against her porcelain skin, before opening. Zechs smiled encouragingly to her. Noin smiled back, her eyes heavy lidded and curious.  
"Zechs?" she whispered, as her eyes shut and she drifted back to sleep.  
"I'm here for you." He answered her even though she was asleep. Lifting her hand to his lips he kissed it again and cradled it against his cheek, while reaching behind himself for the chair. Dimly he heard the doctor and the nurse, his tones harsh and hers meek, ending with the word "Fired!".  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Noin woke up with the sun streaming in the window and she winced, trying to throw her arm over her eyes.  
"Ow..." She moaned feeling something pull painfully at her shoulder. Giving up on blocking the light she decided to ignore it, and surveyed her surroundings. To the right of her hospital gurney was the window, and to the left was...  
Zechs. He was sprawled halfway between the chair and the edge of her gurney, his hand wrapped around hers, even in sleep. Tilting her head to the side she realized that the way he had falling asleep had hiked his mask up so that she could see more of his face than she ever had before, if she leaned to the side a little more. Ignoring her urge to look and respecting his wishes to remain anonymous, she instead surveyed the silvery blonde hair that was draped across her sheets. She could feel it curled against her palm, soft as silk.   
Zechs yawned and Noin looked away, to the window. Looking back she saw he had his hands on the sides of his mask, pulling it back into place; she saw the doubt flickering in his eyes, as if something had been undermined.  
"I didn't look." She whispered, her voice rough. Something registered in his cobalt eyes, and she saw a smile there before it formed around his lips. Suddenly Zechs was out of his chair and his arms were wrapped around her, his hair forming a silver tent around them, shielding them from everything else in the world. She blushed at the contact and his proximity.  
"I was afraid I'd never see you again." He whispered. "I was afraid I hadn't gotten to you in time to save you." Noin could see that his cobalt eyes were dark with emotions. "I am afraid of lo-", Zechs' voice choked off and she saw him flinch, trying to lock something in.  
"Afraid of what?" Noin whispered. She refused to hope, for anything. Zechs' eyes opened and she saw the tears lingering there. His arms tightened protectively.  
"Afraid of losing you..." He answered, smiling.  



	4. Promotion

Noin gritted her teeth in pain as her muscles tightened and curled in agony. Sweat had drenched her hair into three purple strands which clung to her face itching as she labored. Her muscles cramped again in pain and Noin bit back a scream as she forced them to move.  
Letting go of the bar she let the weight fall, with a loud clack, onto the weights, as she herself collapsed onto a bench in the physical therapy room. Noin glared at the weight; it was only fifteen pounds. She sighed, knowing exactly why she couldn't lift it; the weeks wrapped in plaster casts had ruined her muscle strength and now she had to rebuild it.  
But in her head a voice began to nag at her. Burying her face in her hands Noin tried to evade it as strong hands came down on her shoulders. She jumped, startled, and turned as Zechs was settling down on the bench behind her. He smiled pleasantly as his hands tightened on her shoulders marginally, turning her away from him, as he massaged the sore muscles there.  
"How is physical therapy going?" Zechs murmured, feeling the tension in her muscles.  
"Great." She answered looking up and glaring at the weight machine. She wished it would wither under her glare. "I'm only up to fifteen pounds; I feel miserable about it." She heard him laugh under his breath.  
"Well, you were in the casts for three weeks." He answered.  
Secretly Noin already missed the casts. She missed him coming to see her at all hours of the day, him taking care of her, and just sitting around talking. The inane conversations about life and healing and the academy. She blushed as she thought about another thing that she missed, while she'd been in casts she couldn't move her arms far enough to get food to her mouth. So Zechs had fed her, everyday.  
As it was, she wondered why he was taking care of her as much as he was. Sure they were friends, but this was beyond friendship. And she refused to hope that it could be anything else. Zechs didn't feel that way about her...  
"Whats on your mind?" Zechs purred in her ear. Noin turned slightly until they were almost face to face. He saw the tears in her eyes and his arms tightened, pulling her against him. "Its ok, Noin, things will get better," He paused. "You'll get stronger-"  
"No." Noin moaned and shoved against his chest, pushing away from him. "I'm not getting stronger. I've been doing fifteen pounds since physical therapy began."  
Suddenly anger flared inside her at her weakness; she'd was the academy's second best student, and now anyone could beat her. Who couldn't lift fifteen pounds? She was weak...An image of the Gundam pilot flashed in her mind, smirking as he lifted the sword over his head. He was laughing. And the Zero Five was towering behind him proudly.  
Noin glared at Zechs; how could he believe that she'd get stronger? He always was the best, and recovery would have never been a problem for him. He wouldn't have even gone down in battle; he would have destroyed the Zero Five. Why was he sympathizing with her? In the shine on his mask she could see herself and the image was pitiful. She looked more like a street-child than a warrior.  
"Whats wrong, Noin?" Zechs asked, worried at the expression on her face, she looked like she was going to slap him. Noin sighed and got up, walking towards the door. "Do you need help-" Zechs floundered at the glare sent his way, "With anything?".  
"No." Noin answered quietly before walking out the door, leaving Zechs seated on the bench in the therapy room, puzzled. He stared at the door as it swung shut wondering if he should go after her; only the glare she had fired earlier stopped him. Obviously something was wrong with her; she was angry and she was focusing it at him for no apparent reason.   
There was no reason for her to be angry at her progress with the weights, she had recovered more in two weeks than most people would do in two months. More than he would have done in a month.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Treize stood in the hallway watching Noin walk by. He loved to watch her, in fact he'd had cameras rerouted to video screens in his office so that he could watch her at all times of the day. What he didn't like seeing was Zechs with her; the sickening way she smiled at him and how they were always together. He didn't like the fact that they'd been friends in the Academy, or rather he knew they had been friends but he didn't like how close they were now. And they'd been getting closer. It made him sick when he knew he was the one for her, her perfect match. There was no way he was going to allow Zechs to take the place that was rightly his.  
Frowning at his thoughts he realized he'd let Noin walk by because he'd been distracted by his anger. Ah, well, it was worth it this time so he could put his plan into action. Straightening his lapels he walked to the door of the therapy room that Zechs had yet to come out of, and opened the door. His LT. looked up, startled, and bounded to his feet to salute his commander.  
"Yes, sir?" Zechs asked.  
"I'd like to speak to you," Treize started. "Privately. Perhaps tomorrow? In my office?"   
Zechs nodded.  
"Of course, sir." He answered and Treize smiled before turning and leaving through the door. In the hall Treize smiled wolfishly; the first part of his plan was going into action, he'd have them split up in no time!  
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Noin stood in the locker rooms gripping the towel to herself, her head bent and resting against the lockers. She was fresh out of the showers and the bandages had just come off her scars; she was frightened. She'd never had scars before. She suddenly wanted to find Zechs and let him make her laugh about it and make her feel better.   
Instead she quickly pulled on her uniform and trudged to the mess hall for lunch. There was no reason to show that much emotion. She stood in line and got a small lunch since she didn't have much of an appetite and then she found a table away from the one she normally sat at.  
Lady Une and Zechs watched her from across the room with worried expressions on their faces.   
"And she just marched out of there like I'd said something wrong." Zechs told Lady Une. "I'm worried about her, and she's angry at herself because she doesn't think she's recovering fast enough."  
"How fast is she recovering?" Une asked.  
"She's done enough recovery in two weeks to equal two months, what would take me a month to recover from." He answered, picking at his food and not eating much of it. "And Treize wants to speak to me about something tomorrow."  
"I wish he wanted to speak to me." Lady Une said sadly and sighed. "I wish he wanted anything from me."  
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Noin was halfway to her quarters in the barracks when she saw Zechs in front of her door waiting for her to arrive. For a second she paused and almost decided to go back. But, steeling herself she went forward towards her room.  
Zechs looked up as Noin neared, and he inwardly frowned at her scowl, wondering what could have upset her so much. He feverishly hoped it wasn't him.  
"Why are you here?" Noin asked. Why would anyone stronger want her?  
"Noin." Zechs said, shocked. "I'm your friend, I'm supposed to be here for you. I'm supposed to help you when you need help-" Noin cut him off snarling.  
"I don't need help from anybody!" She yelled at him, ignoring the wounded look in his eyes.  
"Noin," Zechs lunged forward suddenly and grabbed her by her shoulders. "Whats wrong? Let me help you."  
Only weak people need help, the Gundam Pilot's voice told her. Noin struggled free from him and found her back to her door. Without looking she groped for the doorknob and twisted it roughly.  
"I don't need your help!" Noin slipped through the door and slammed it shut, clicking the lock seconds later. Turning her back to it she slid down it to the floor and listened in the darkness. She heard Zechs sigh sadly and then his boot heels as he walked away.   
In the darkness Noin burst into tears.  
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Zechs stormed into his quarters angry. A day ago they'd been the best of friends and now Noin wouldn't even tell him what was wrong. He knew it had to do with her therapy, but he couldn't understand why she would be angry; her progression was remarkable. Falling onto his bed he pulled off his mask and dropped it onto the floor. His hands rose up to rub his face and forehead before moving onto his hair, in an effort to remove tension. It didn't help.  
And the look she'd had on her face, the pure anger there. It was a look he'd never seen from her before and he'd known her for more than ten years. But there was something else with that anger; he thought he'd seen fear in her eyes.   
Somewhere inside it was killing him and he knew it. Noin had been just his friend for so many years, she'd been a tomboy, challenging him to climb higher in the tree than their tree house. In the academy she'd been his roommate and study pal and his best friend, the one who stuck up for him when the other trainees tortured him for wearing a mask day in and day out. And she'd never asked for a single glimpse, always respecting his wishes to remain anonymous. Not even that day, weeks ago, when he'd fallen asleep at her bedside in the infirmary. She could have slipped his mask off while he was asleep, but she hadn't. From that first second when he heard the screams over the radio that a Gundam was attacking it had hit him suddenly, just how much she meant to him, just how much he needed her. How all of it added up over the years.  
He wasn't about to let that slip away. Not when he knew he loved her.  
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Zechs stood outside the door to her quarters and listened. There was nothing inside, not a sound. Noin had left.   
He turned on his heels and headed for the physical therapy room. From 30 feet down the hall he could see the light seeping under the door, and knew it could only be her. Zechs paused outside the door to collect his thoughts, before pushing the door open and stepping in. Noin stood with her back to him struggling to lift the fifteen pound weight, and her shoulder muscles tightened and bunched when she realized someone was there, knowing it could only be Zechs. She dropped the weight with a clink and turned to face him as he shut the door behind himself.  
"Noin, I..." He started, and she glared. "We've been friends a long time and I can't bear to lose you to whatever problem it is you're having; let me help you."  
Only weak people need help, a voice told her, and Noin flinched.  
"I don't need your help, or anyone else's!" She yelled back, flipping the hair out of her eyes. Zechs snapped.  
"No, Noin, you do need help." He told her though gritted teeth. "Even I need help! Look at you! Its four AM for god's sake and you're in here pushing yourself to a limit that is above human grasp!" Noin attempted to shove past him and Zechs grabbed her by her shoulders and shoved her down onto the workbench. "I'm watching you destroy yourself here, Noin. And destroy the person I saved from the Gundam attack. You're destroying the girl I grew up with. I won't let you do this."  
Noin stared at the floor. He couldn't want her, he couldn't care. No one was going to come for her. No one cared.  
"I'm weak." She murmured. Zechs jaw dropped open in shock and without thinking he reached for her, yanking her to her feet.  
"Dammit! Can't you understand me, Noin? If I were you..." He sighed exasperated. "The amount of work you've done so far is two months worth of recovery. What would take me a month to do." Noin barely flinched.  
"You would have defeated the Gundam pilot." She told him. You wouldn't be fighting an inner war over who was weak and who was strong. You wouldn't be haunted by the voice and sight of your attacker, she told herself.  
"Noin." He said waiting for her to look up and make eye contact. "I need you. I need you more than I've ever known, I never realized it until I heard that pilot screaming over the radio that you were being attacked. It kills me to hear you say that you don't need anyone, especially not me." He paused trying to collect his thoughts. "It really kills me Noin, because I love you. I love your strength, and your fire, and your beauty. I love your sense of humor and your compassion. I love everything about you."   
Noin listened impassively, and she saw something shut down in his eyes. She saw something die. The arms that held her let go and he stepped back, reaching for the door nob to leave. He stopped halfway out the door.  
"If thats the way you want it Noin..." He sighed. "Besides, I've never beaten a Gundam in battle."  
With that he was gone.  
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Inside her room Noin broke down, letting the mask drop. He was still offering his help to her, and she heard the voice say that he must think she was weak. That Zechs must think that she couldn't do anything on her own. That he must pity her.  
No one will love you, no one will need you, no one will come for you or even to retrieve your Mobile Suit. The words seemed to echo for her, because she'd been in pain. Then the Gundam pilot looked up, because something was approaching. And Noin had blacked out. Zechs had saved her life and he had realized he loved her.  
He doesn't, no one could, the Gundam pilots voice said. Zechs loved her. He had come for her, and had saved her, and had spent all of his spare time in the infirmary with her. He had doctored her, and pampered her, and made her smile.   
She had to apologize to him, and Noin struggled to sit up, but the past nights had been haunted by the Gundam pilot and she hadn't slept, now that he was vanquished Noin was tired and her muscles refused to work. Instead of getting up she curled on her side peacefully and fell asleep.  
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"Zechs," Treize purred, early in the morning, when his LT. entered his office. "How good of you to come, and right on time as usual."  
Zechs nodded and sat down on one of the chairs in front of his commander's desk.  
"Would you care for some wine?" Treize asked even as he poured two glasses; Zechs silently received his and sipped at it, watching Treize carefully out of the corner of his eyes. "Yes, well, lets get right to business...You've heard of the Interex Base haven't you?" Zechs nodded, silently. "Its going to host our largest mobile suit manufacturing plant yet, over a mile under ground. It will be impossible to trace from any location." Treize paused realizing that Zechs was still quiet and that it was beginning to unnerve him. "I'm going to promote you to General, Zechs. And I want you to take over that base for me." He paused. "Of course you're entirely welcome to stay here." Treize smirked with his back to Zechs. He knew how things were going between him and Noin, he knew they were fighting; and he knew that it was as good as a reason as any to leave this base. Most of all he wanted Zechs as far out of the picture as he could possibly be, like a mile beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet, which, convenient as it seemed, was right where the Interex Base was.  
Zechs sat his glass of wine down on the edge of the desk in hopes of not dropping it in shock and spilling it all over the floor. He...General...General Zechs Merquise? It had a nice ring to it, but did it mean leaving everything behind? Everyone behind?  
"Sir?" Zechs asked, watching his commander's back tighten in tension. "To become General must I take over the Interex Base?"  
Treize sighed.  
"No. But I would prefer that you were the one managing that base." Treize falsely smiled. "As I said, you are entirely welcome to stay here, and still be a general."  
"How long do I have to decide?"  
"The last carrier flying out tonight leaves at one AM; You have until then, General Zechs Merquise, and you can fly any time today that you want to."   
"Then I guess I had better get ready, Sir." Zechs answered standing up, and extending his hand to Treize in a handshake.   
As the door shut behind General Zechs Merquise, Treize smiled. His plan was working very well, as well as he hoped his plans for the Interex Base would. He'd purposely had it build under the heaviest part of the ice shelf, and had the supports holding the ice up weakened. His competition for Noin would soon be dead and gone.   
He smiled wickedly and finished his glass of wine.  
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"Lady?" Noin asked approaching the general's desk. Lady Une looked up, uncertain of how Noin was going to act, before motioning her to the chair in front of her desk. Noin sank into it dismally. "Do you know where Zechs is? I can't find him anywhere in the base."  
Lady Une frowned, not wanting to deliver bad news, but knowing she had to.  
"You haven't heard?" She asked.  
"Heard what?"  
"He's gone. Zechs was promoted to General this morning and asked to take over Interex Base in Antarctica." Lady Une sighed.   
"What have I done?" Noin asked bursting into tears. "This is all my fault. I should have told him..." Noin sniffled trying to bring her tears under control, when she felt her friend's arms around her, trying to comfort her. Noin waited until she stopped sniffling and Lady Une's arms loosened from around her before she stumbled out of the room towards her quarters.  
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Zechs sat at the controls of TallGeese, comfortable in the darkness of its cabin. He needed to think about his decision very carefully. His hands brushed over the controls and the interior, remembering all of the battles he had fought. Turning slightly he could see the roll bar he had broken his shoulder out of socket on and it brought back the rush of adrenalin he'd had when the battle had been reported in the hanger.   
He tried to imagine TallGeese in Antarctica's snow and ice landscape, covered in frost. The thought of the cold didn't suit him. But he was a soldier and also a General, he could put up with such things. Treize was depending on him.   
Yes, Treize was depending on him.  
Zechs reached for the radio controls and patched through to Treize's office.  
"Sir," He began. "I have decided..."  
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Noin stood at the door to his room, disbelieving what she had heard, that Zechs was gone. Gone to Antarctica. Gone for good. Noin sank to her knees, leaning against the door, crying. This was all her fault because she'd given in to the fears the Gundam pilot had inspired.  
"I'm so sorry." She murmured to the darkness. "I'm so sorry, Zechs. I shouldn't have turned you away. You were right, I do need someone. I need you. I...I love you. I've loved you for so long and I couldn't say it. I was afraid." She pulled her knees up to her chest and pillowed her head on them. "I'm sorry...I was wrong, and I'm sorry Zechs. I need you."  
An elevator opened silently at the end of the hall and the man inside started down the line of doors to his quarters. He paused when he saw the figure huddled in the doorway.  
"You were right Zechs, I do need someone. I need you." She sobbed. "I love you."  
He knelt down beside the figure and slid his arms under her knees and around her shoulders, lifting her into his arms. Noin latched her arms around his neck glad to have someone to cry on, and not really caring who it was. He slid a key into the door and opened it, the dim light in the corner giving a soft touch to the furniture in his quarters, and he shut the door with a foot, carrying Noin to the bed and sitting down with her in his arms. His hand rose up to brush over her hair in a comforting gesture.  
"Shhh, Noin." he murmured. "Everythings going to be ok. I'm here now, theres no reason to cry."  
Noin wrinkled her eyes in shock and opened them surveying the blue color of a General's uniform. And the long blonde hair cascading over the shoulder. She pulled back in shock.  
"Zechs?!"   
His warm smiled greeted her.  
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Zechs, I shouldn't have-"  
"Shhh." He told her placing a finger against her lips. "I heard you in the hall." His smile brightened as the hand that had been behind her knees stroked against her cheek. "I love you too."  
"But...Didn't you leave, for the Interex Base?" Noin asked leaning into his touch.  
"I spent the day in the hanger sitting in TallGeese's cabin thinking it over. I couldn't leave this unresolved. I couldn't abandon you, no matter how you felt about me." He told her. "I love you and I had to stay."  
"Thank you." Noin murmured. Zechs' eyes darkened with doubt for a second and he looked away.  
"Noin, I..." He started. "In all the time I've known you, you've never once asked to see my face. I've lived anonymously for thirteen years...I want you to see...My face and know who I am."  
"I could love you even with your mask." She told him, knowing she would never force him into revealing his face.  
"I know, thats why I want to show you." He answered and he lifted his hands to the sides of his mask and closed his eyes for a second, trying to calm his inner demons. Gently he lifted the mask off and dropped it onto the bed, keeping his eyes closed as his hand ruffled his hair slightly to shake it out. He opened his eyes to thin cobalt slits and surveyed Noin's reaction, which appeared to be shock. "My name is Prince Milyardo Peacecraft of the Peacecraft monarchy of the Sanq Kingdom. My family line and my kingdom were destroyed by the Earth Sphere Alliance when I was six years old and I vowed to remain anonymously hidden within a war faction and see them destroyed."  
"You...You're a..." Noin gaped. "You're a Prince?" At his nod she continued to fumble with the idea. "As in knights and armor," he nodded again trying not to laugh. "and castles..."  
"There was one once, but its in ruins now." Sadness touched his eyes and Noin regretted unknowingly leading him into an area of sad thoughts.  
"So you've been a Prince your entire life?" He nodded. "Thats where you get the manners, then." Noin said smiling and he laughed.  
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Treize sat in his office in the early hours of the morning, his hands gripping the edge of the desk as if he was going to rip it off. Finally he struggled out of his chair and stood with his hands firmly planted on the table top, gritting his teeth together.  
His plan. His beautiful plan had gone to hell. Damn Zechs. He should have been in Antarctica by now, but no, he'd stayed. He'd stayed and he and Noin had made up and now Treize knew there was no conceivable way to get Zechs out of the picture.  
This was not good.  
  
the end  
  
  
  



End file.
